1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to center airbag modules for vehicles and, more particularly, to a center airbag module for a vehicle, which restrains the movement of a passenger towards a far side, when a vehicle collision occurs at the far side of the passenger, thus minimizing an injury to the passenger.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, airbag systems for vehicles are a safety device that deploys an airbag cushion in the event of a vehicle collision to mitigate shocks and prevents a passenger from being thrown out of a vehicle body. The airbag systems are typically classified into a driver airbag (DAB) and a passenger airbag (PAB) for protecting passengers sitting in a front seat in the event of a head-on collision, a side airbag (SAB) for protecting the side of a passenger in the event of a side collision, and a curtain airbag (CAB).
A side airbag or center airbag for a vehicle may be installed in a center console of the vehicle so as to prevent the heads of neighboring passengers from colliding with each other or prevent a passenger from being moved towards a far side and colliding with objects in the interior when a side collision occurs at the far side of the passenger, thus preventing the passenger from being injured.
FIG. 1 is a view showing the movement of a passenger in the event of a side collision when a center airbag apparatus has not been installed.
If the center airbag apparatus is not installed in a vehicle, a passenger may be moved towards the far side by the abrupt shock in the event of a side collision. In this case, the passenger may collide with objects in the interior of the vehicle, or his or her head may collide with the head of a neighboring passenger, so that the passenger may be severely injured.
In order to solve the problem, the center airbag apparatus is installed in the vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a conventional center airbag apparatus.
The conventional center airbag apparatus has two different chambers 1a and 1b which are provided on opposite sides of a console box 1 and are deployed in a transverse direction of a vehicle. The center airbag apparatus is problematic in that it has two independent chambers 1a and 1b, so that its manufacturing cost and weight are increased. Further, since the chambers 1a and 1b provided on the opposite sides of the console box 1 are deployed in the transverse direction of the vehicle, it is impossible to minimize the movement of a passenger towards the far side in an empty space above the console box 1.
FIG. 3 shows another conventional center airbag apparatus. The center airbag apparatus is problematic in that it has a single chamber 3 and the support force of the chamber 3 is too large, so that a passenger's head is subjected to a large reaction force that bends it towards an opposite side.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.